So the PS5 is on the way and it goes hand in hand with the Xbox Series X console, also next generation. And while it's tempting to view PS4's high sales numbers as a sign that Sony's dominance will continue, there's one area the Xbox One has clearly surpassed, and that's compatibility. down. What are you asking? Backwards compatibility is the ability of a console to play games published on earlier platforms. Given the number of games released these days, this is a bit more daunting task than before, and it's telling that Sony has largely done away with these kinds of features. years, even if Microsoft made sure that its Xbox One consoles could still play hundreds of Xbox 360 titles. There's a clear financial incentive not to support backwards compatibility: if a player can't use an old disc in a new console , you will likely buy the game again and pay more. than before for a remastered version that has been optimized for higher hardware. However, for those of us who don't have a ton of money to spend, this may seem like a bad thing. And the backwards compatibility issue has clearly struck Sony's heart in one way or another, as we know that the PS5 will offer a whole host of backwards compatibility for PS4 games. It's exciting, of course: it means you won't be looking for PS5 games to play when you get the next-gen console in your home. Just paste in a disc or load a downloaded game from your PS4 library! However, Sony's history of backwards compatibility doesn't necessarily inspire confidence that this trend should last, or that you'll get what you expect.
PS2: technical difficulties
The PS2 remains to this day the best-selling console in the world, by any manufacturer. Released in 2000, it's enjoyed unprecedented success, and that probably didn't affect the fact that the original PS2 can play most PS1 games released on the older console. There were a handful of PS1 games that didn't have a seamless transition, with bugs and issues plaguing titles like Final Fantasy Anthology, Monkey Hero, and Mortal Kombat Trilogy (via PlayStation). But the philosophy was clear: You shouldn't need to say goodbye to your favorite games forever, or have no way to play them if your old console has gone kaput. However, the PS2 Slim has made all the difference. Ensuring that older games run on newer consoles takes work, and that workload increases as more developers push games for the console, and more of the PlayStation platform architecture changes with each new machine. The Slim version of the console, released in 2004, had an ever-growing list of titles it was having difficulty playing, including Worms and various PS1 NHL games, and even some PS2 titles like Tomorrow Never. Dies and Tiger Woods PGA Tour (via PlayStation). Sure, there have been plenty of new games released, but these issues have paved the way for Sony's acceptance that not every game will end up on a new console.
PS3: the beginning of the end
You may not remember it, but the PS3 had excellent backwards compatibility: for its original 20GB and 60GB models at the very least. These models have played most PS1 and PS2 discs, tying together three different generations of games, as well as the ability to download these titles from the PlayStation Store, a first for Sony consoles in both ways. However, this compatibility did not come cheap and added to the cost of the console, as it required dedicated hardware to read PS2 discs, not to mention the increased time spent developing the console. Part of the reason the successive Slim PS3 was smaller and cheaper was the removal of this feature, which paved the way for the current-gen console's position in backward compatibility: don't do it at all.
PS4: streaming service, no fan service
That's right: the PS4 wasn't (and isn't) compatible with PS3 discs, or any before. This is due in part to Sony's interest in game streaming, with its PS Now pay service allowing subscribers to access a library of several hundred legacy titles without having to own a disc or to spare them space on a disc. hard. It's fine in theory, but the service hasn't been without its problems and doesn't solve the problem of players having to pay to replay games they've had before.
PS5: an uncertain future
What does this all mean? We know that the PS5 will have backwards compatibility for most PS4 games, which means your discs and downloads won't be recorded in history... yet. But Sony's outline above suggests this could be more technically difficult to stick with, as well as financially daunting, especially if you really want to push your PS Now streaming service for the long haul. It's possible that a mid-cycle upgrade (for example, a PS5 Slim) will remove some of these features, or backwards compatibility will be hidden behind a paid wall or packaged in PS Plus or as a standalone purchase. This can be annoying, as the PS5 will also be the most powerful console Sony has ever built, and it could mean it doesn't experience the same issues as previous generations of hardware. But if we take a long-term view of the PlayStation console, we can't be sure that backwards compatibility will be available and free forever on the PS5.